The mysterious man's expression subtly changed. The Fierce Nest had existed since ancient times, and he had set up a killing trap there, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of living beings to make his strength terrifyingly powerful.
More importantly, over six or seven generations, he had remained unknown and deliberately hidden. Only in this final generation did he act without restraint.
However, he didn't expect that his first move would be against Shi Jian, a peerless prodigy. The Five Emperors Canopy on Shi Jian's body was truly too terrifying.
It repelled all laws. Formations couldn't break it, and spirit treasures couldn't penetrate it. His strength was unfathomable.
"You are very strong, but to wish me dead… that is a delusion."
The man finally spoke, playing a melodious flute. The entire world filled with falling petals, each one carved like jade and stained with the blood of strong cultivators they had slain.
The flute music continued, transforming into note after note. The petals shimmered within the notes, sharp and dazzling like scattered stars falling across the sky. Tens of thousands of ghost demons and gods followed his music, soaring as they attacked Shi Jian.
This person seemed transcendent, yet his actions were incredibly ruthless.
Shi Jian remained unmoving. The Wings of an Angel unfurled behind him, stirring up gusts of wind that blew all the petals away.
The mysterious man flew in beneath the blood moon. He put away his flute and then blew a simple, unadorned horn: the Heavenly Pattern Conch.
Boom!
An invisible wave of Qi spread outwards, powerful enough to shatter the body of a god.
Shi Jian immediately summoned the Nethergod Spear and wielded it, also playing a terrifying melody.
Melody of Twilight!
The Melody of Twilight and the Heavenly Pattern Conch continuously clashed in the Void Realm. Shi Jian's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw a sea of insects appear in the distance, flying out from the void. All the mountains and ancient trees were flattened by the swarm.
These were the insects from the Divine Fruit Garden.
Shi Jian unfurled the Hell Furnace, which swept across the entire area. All the insects that entered it were burned, devoured, and refined. He gazed intently at the mysterious man, whom he now recognized.
The Banished Immortal.
He had mastered the complete True Phoenix Treasure Art and the complete Heavenly Horn Treasure Art, making his strength incredibly formidable. More importantly, he had set up a scheme within the Fierce Nest, absorbing the blood of myriad spirits into himself.
He had now cultivated Immortal Qi.
Challenging the limits and cultivating Immortal Qi—that was the mark of the ultimate strongest cultivator. For every wisp of Immortal Qi cultivated, combat power would surge dramatically.
Shi Jian was truly curious about how much of a boost it gave.
"Fight with all your might. If the strength you display cannot satisfy me, then you shall perish here today."
Shi Jian took a step forward, and the range of the Hell Furnace expanded again, instantly enveloping the entire insect nest. Although the Banished Immortal had cultivated these swarms, he could not control them all. Most of them were only at the Divine Fire and True God Realm.
Such a dense nest would have overwhelmed any other ancient monster, but Shi Jian had no such concerns. The Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength thrived on combat; these insects would all be transformed into nourishment for his cultivation.
As densely packed insects perished in the void, the range of Shi Jian's Hell Furnace grew larger and larger.
Seeing this, the Banished Immortal blew his flute again, and the insect swarm halted and retreated.
"You are Shi Jian? I have heard your name; you are indeed extraordinary." The Banished Immortal spoke gently, his long robes fluttering as he stood amidst the blood moon, ethereal and transcendent.
Sheets of runes danced between heaven and earth. Blood rose from the mountains, encircling his back like symbols forged from immortal gold.
Shi Jian gazed at this figure and slowly spoke, "You used the blood of myriad spirits to water the Fierce Nest, obtaining good fortune and utilizing their runes to cultivate. Now that you have achieved the Dao Fruit, let me see what your Immortal Qi is like."
The two confronted each other, their auras spreading and causing the entire Void Realm to tremble.
A Divine Fire cultivator who had cultivated Immortal Qi and one who had not were two different concepts.
The Banished Immortal made the first move. He felt immense pressure from Shi Jian, especially from the Five Emperors Canopy. It couldn't be broken; it couldn't be penetrated. He wanted to find its weakness.
His robes fluttered as his entire being seemed to dance like the reincarnation of an immortal. Limitless colorful divine light flowed around him—a great divine ability of the Heavenly Phoenix clan. As soon as he attacked, he directly used a Ten Fiends Treasure Art.
"Kunpeng Law."
A pair of wings suddenly appeared behind Shi Jian. These were the wings of a Kunpeng—another peerless Treasure Art of the Ten Fiends.
Kunpeng battled Heavenly Phoenix.
If there were any onlookers, they would surely be dumbfounded. How could two combatants use such peerless secret arts right from the start?
Thousands of laws and ten thousand rays of divine light tore through the sky, shattering the clouds. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged hundreds of blows, both using invincible Treasure Arts comparable to the Ten Fiends.
It was an incredibly terrifying Dragon-Tiger battle.
Shi Jian had to admit that the Banished Immortal was definitely the strongest opponent he had encountered at the same realm. On his journey, which enemy at the same realm had he not instantly killed? Only when battling against higher-realm enemies did he need to expend more effort.
Now, this Banished Immortal had the capital to contend with him. Indeed, those who had cultivated Immortal Qi were extraordinary.
Zheng!
The Nethergod Spear in Shi Jian's hand resonated with the heavens. At its tip, a giant elephant shattered the Void Realm. The moment he wielded the spear, his body surged with overwhelming Qi and blood, like an indestructible immortal Dao furnace releasing its essence.
The Banished Immortal's posture was agile, striking from the air. Phoenix flames shone on his body as he continuously moved through Shi Jian's overwhelming Qi and blood. Their powers clashed, stirring up ripple after ripple. The entire world seemed unable to withstand their duel, manifesting a phenomenon like the heavens weeping.
Strike after strike boomed. Heaven and earth collapsed, ghosts wailed, lightning flashed, and blood rain poured down. The two were like supreme War Gods, their every move tearing apart the world with overwhelming power.
The Banished Immortal still maintained an extraordinary and refined appearance. Every strike moved the power of the sun, moon, and stars.
Shi Jian faced such an attack by unleashing a mighty punch. Rivers surged as countless water vapors swept across the world, like the Heavenly River pouring down.
Black Emperor Water Emperor Fist.
This vast and powerful boxing technique was indestructible, boundless like rivers and oceans. The scene was like the starry river falling into the Milky Way. In a single instant, there would be thousands of clashes, each emitting dazzling divine light.
This battle was too terrifying. Both were geniuses of their generation. Their opponents could not be found among their contemporaries but had to be searched for across ancient and modern times, through the long river of history.
After sensing the Banished Immortal's strength, Shi Jian somewhat understood why these ancient monsters had sealed themselves until this generation. For a character like the Banished Immortal, if he had achieved the Dao in a single generation, who would have been his opponent? He was destined to be lonely and invincible.
These individuals remained until this generation not only because it was the final one, but also because it was the most glorious one, where they could find countless worthy opponents.
Six-Crowned King… Ten-Crowned King… the Banished Immortal… this was a truly peak decisive battle.
Shi Jian's attacks were extremely fierce, following his violent style of crushing everything with overwhelming power. The Banished Immortal's fighting style, however, was different. If Meng Qi were here, he would probably be consumed by jealousy, because the Banished Immortal embodied the most elegant fighting style he could imagine.
His demeanor was peerless, ethereal like an immortal. His attacks were not as fierce as Shi Jian's, but they could move the Nine Heavens. Wherever his Dao laws passed, all things would dissolve. Untouched by worldly dust, they seemed capable of destroying all things.
Boom!
The two exchanged more than a dozen blows in an instant. The Banished Immortal soared upwards, spreading his arms. Raging, multicolored flames spread out like a phoenix. This was the Phoenix Spreading Wings from the Heavenly Phoenix Treasure Art.
Shi Jian's five fingers glowed, and five blurry figures—the Five Emperors Dharma Bodies—appeared behind him, merging with his being. He formed a hand seal and pressed it toward the Banished Immortal. The Great Five Elements Technique displayed world-shaking divine might.
The void between them collapsed as if demonic flames were burning the Nine Heavens.
The two then separated, crossing paths. At this moment, the Banished Immortal displayed his talent, his entire being seeming to transform into a True Phoenix—a manifestation of cultivating the True Phoenix Treasure Art to an extremely profound realm.
Shi Jian charged towards him again, attacking with the Kunpeng Law. A gigantic Peng bird spread its wings and clawed at the Phoenix. This was a confrontation between supreme immortal birds.
The Treasure Arts left behind by the Ten Fiends were known as invincible laws. Between the two, countless feathers withered and fell, both stained with blood.
In this battle, Shi Jian felt a glimmer of opportunity to break through his understanding of the Kunpeng Law. He had cultivated many techniques, but his time was still short. His mastery of the Ten Fiends Treasure Art was not as good as the Banished Immortal's. Now, he saw a more advanced realm from his opponent.
So he was observing, imitating, and learning.
He deliberately suppressed his other abilities, focusing solely on using the Kunpeng Law to battle the True Phoenix Treasure Art. Two supreme beings fought fiercely, their Dharma Idols clashing. In the sky, brilliant feathers fell like divine swords, slicing through the void.
The fierce battle between the two immortal birds was incredibly intense, creating a terrifying and astonishing scene.
On the surface, Shi Jian seemed to be at a disadvantage because his proficiency with the Kunpeng Law was not as good. But the Banished Immortal knew that Shi Jian still had other means at his disposal. That terrifying five-colored canopy had not been displayed.
The Banished Immortal knew Shi Jian was using him as a whetstone to hone his Kunpeng Law. What kind of contempt was this? He had never been so disrespected, but his mindset was stable, and he showed no anger.
After they clashed and separated again, the Banished Immortal spoke calmly, "I heard you have boundless divine power. Today, I shall meet your palm strike."
He put away his Heavenly Phoenix Treasure Art, then raised his hand and struck forward. In an instant, heaven and earth collapsed. The entire area vibrated violently under the augmentation of his vast Qi and blood, causing countless surrounding mountains to crack.
The Banished Immortal displayed a style completely different from before—incredibly violent, with surging Qi and blood, like a True Dragon soaring into the sky. A phantom of an explosive creature appeared behind him.
This was the peerless divine ability contained within the Fierce Nest.
Heavenly Horned Ant.
One of the Ten Fiends, known as the strongest in power, unparalleled and terrifyingly boundless.
Power? Seeing this, Shi Jian remained calm. When it came to a contest of strength, looking across all the heavens and myriad realms, what technique could compare to the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength?
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